O75 Public Administration

Top women closing gap on pay as earnings hit $580k

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Mar-16

Data from the Australian Taxation Office shows that the three per cent of taxpayers in the highest marginal tax bracket accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the total income tax paid in fiscal 2014. Meanwhile, the average salary of male CEOs and directors rose by 10 per cent to $A667,000 during the financial year, while the average salary of their female counterparts increased by 20 per cent to $A580,000. Medical specialists and financial industry professionals were also among those with the highest incomes.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

‘Spending cuts must fund tax relief’

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Mar-16

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has told a meeting of Coalition MPs of the need to reduce income taxes over the long-term, stressing that this must be achieved via spending cuts in the Budget. Meanwhile, backbenchers expressed concern about proposed changes to the negative gearing regime for property investors, with one MP warning that any such reforms will be rejected by the party room. Morrison also said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is fully prepared to seek a double-dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Super union could ‘lock up the nation’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 &4 : 29-Feb-16

Master Builders Australia CEO Wilhelm Harnisch says a proposed merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia could have significant implications for industrial relations. Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has also expressed concern about the merger’s potential impact on jobs, productivity and the economy. Meanwhile, MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin has flagged further merger with other unions if the deal with the CFMEU proceeds.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT UNION FEDERATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Tax policy and poll to come early

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 29-Feb-16

The federal Cabinet’s expenditure review committee is likely to discuss the Australian Government’s tax reform policy in the first week of March 2016, with the aim of releasing details of the tax package in early April. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says tax reforms cannot be rushed, and details of the proposed changes will be announced ahead of the Budget in May. There is growing speculation that the Government will opt for a double-dissolution election in July.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. EXPENDITURE REVIEW COMMITTEE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Cabinet digs in as PM backflips on CGT

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 24-Feb-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told Parliament that changes to the 33 per cent capital gains tax discount on the sale of superannuation funds’ assets may be part of the Federal Government’s tax reform agenda. He had previously given indications that CGT reforms had been ruled out, but claims that he was specifically referring to the Opposition’s CGT proposals. Meanwhile, cabinet ministers have agreed to wait until the May 2016 Budget to announce the Coalition’s tax policies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

‘Vigilante’ building workers face $10,800 fines

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 24-Feb-16

Fair Work Building & Construction (FWBC) intends to prosecute 52 construction workers at the Longford gas processing plant in Gippsland over unlawful industrial action in February 2015. The Australian Workers’ Union argues that the stop-work action was to protest against the dismissal of a probationary employee. The union’s Victorian secretary, Ben Davis, has criticised FWBC director Nigel Hadgkiss for describing the actions of the workers as "vigilantism".

CORPORATES
FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FOREST MEIERS CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD

Not your mother’s Newspoll: robo-poll not quite what it seems

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Original article by Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Feb-16

The latest Morgan Poll, which uses both face-to-face and SMS interviews, has found that support for the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis is steady at 52.5 per cent. In contrast, the latest Newspoll suggests that support for the Coalition and the Australian Labor Party is tied at 50 per cent apiece. However, the Newspoll is now conducted by Galaxy Research, which uses a combination of automated "robo-polling" and online surveys rather than telephone surveys.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NEWSPOLL, GALAXY RESEARCH PTY LTD, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Federal Voting Intention unchanged: L-NP 52.5% maintain clear 2PP lead over ALP 47.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 22-Feb-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis is steady at 52.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 13-14 and 20-21 February 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote is unchanged at 43.5 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen by 7.5 points to 105. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison need to outline the policies and reforms they will stake this Government on now rather than waiting until Morrison delivers his first Federal Budget in May or when Turnbull decides to call an election.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Turnbull: no change to capital gains tax

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Feb-16

The Australian Government’s options for tax reform have become more limited after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Parliament that changes to the capital gains tax regime are not on its agenda. Turnbull warned that the Opposition’s proposed capital gains tax reforms will deter investment in Australia, while its policy on negative gearing would adversely affect house prices. Changes to superannuation tax concessions and tax deductions for work-related expenses are among the few tax reform options that are still available to the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEWSPOLL

National builds winning lead over Labour/Greens opposition in New Zealand following TPP signing ceremony in Auckland early in February

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 19-Feb-16

A New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention has found that support for the ruling National Party has risen by 1.5 per cent to 48.5 per cent in February 2016. The poll also shows that support for a potential Labour/Greens alliance is unchanged at 41.5 per cent, while the NZ Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen by 3.5 points to 128 points. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that earlier in February New Zealand hosted the signing ceremony for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The 12 nations of the TPP represent 40 per cent of the world economy and the TPP will provide New Zealand businesses with tremendous growth possibilities once fully ratified by all nations.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY, ACT NEW ZEALAND, NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, INTERNET PARTY, MANA PARTY, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP